How Three Australian Artists Landed Their Dream Job
We talk to three Melbourne-based artists about how they took a leap of faith to turn their passion projects into full-time jobs.
Words: Hande Renshaw
Steven Clark from DenHolm in his Melbourne studio. Photo: Bobby Clark.
‘The biggest influence in my work is probably intuition. It’s very hard to be a creative person without tapping into it,’ says James Lemon. Photo: Courtesy of James Lemon.
You may remember a little while ago, we spoke to three of our favourite female sculptors about how they turned their passion project into a full-time paying gig. And the journey it took to get there.
The path of an artist is rarely straightforward, but one that is layered and unique. It’s something we’re always interested to hear about, which is why we’re bringing you a second instalment!
This time, we spoke to three Melbourne-based male artists we admire – Steven Clark (DenHolm), Lucas Wearne (Neighbourhood Studio) and James Lemon – about their respective journeys. Once again, each story is equally inspiring.
For Steven Clark, the transition to making sculpting his career came organically while working as a stonemason. A friend asked him to make a simple plinth, which in turn caused quite a stir.
‘I sculpted something for her, which was inspired by Constantin Brancusi, who she loved, and everyone got a little bit excited after that,’ says Steve. And the excitement hasn’t stopped.
Steven’s move into sculpting took off a mere two months later. He quit his job, rented his own studio and the rest is history.
“The challenge is just about backing yourself. Putting it all on the line.”
‘That inability to explain what something is or why you’re doing something is really at the heart of making art, design and craft. It creates an opportunity for a new perspective,’ says James Lemon. Pictured: Shev, 2020. Photo: James Lemon.
‘I take inspiration broadly from contemporary art, architecture and design, and the natural landscape,’ says Lucas Wearne from Neighbourhood Studio. Photo: Amelia Stanwix.
The pull to working as a full-time artist was something James Lemon knew would one day become too strong to resist.
He knew that eventually, his passion project would end up being his primary focus, it was only a matter of time and persistence.
‘From the very beginning, I expected this was something I would want to be doing full-time, making art and ceramics – my whole ceramics business was centred around the idea of it being a self-sustainable studio,’ says James.
The journey itself wasn’t an easy one. It involved making pottery during any spare time he could find, which can be tricky while holding down a full-time job.
James started making ceramic pieces including cups and bowls for stores and cafes, which slowly gained popularity and he was able to gain stockists for his pieces.
The big shift came after James worked on a few large scale jobs, giving him the freedom to leap into his own business.
“‘It’s those really big jobs that allow you to make the switch from being a hobbyist part-timer to working full-time.”
Connection to community also played a major role in James’ success, ‘Working out how to create some sort of community around my practice was vital. I think that making friends and seeing people working in your industry as colleagues and workmates rather than competition is really crucial.’
‘I work mostly with South Australian limestone, what I love most about it is its consistency. It’s like a block of cheese,’ says Steven Clark. Photo: Liz Sunshine.
Bel, 2020 by James Lemon. Photo: James Lemon.
‘I don’t feel there is one biggest influence in my work, in some way, my biggest influencer is my previous piece of work,’ says Steven Clark. Photo: Mitch Fong.
‘No matter how hard I try to replicate a piece they will never be identical, which is one of the best things about working with such an organic material,’ says Lucas Wearne. Photo: Lucas Wearne.
Rounding off the trio, Lucas Wearne started his professional career as a landscape architect, working briefly in design and landscape architecture studios.
It was during this time Lucas gained the experience and skills that allowed him to move into a practice of his own.
The journey to starting his own studio wasn’t instant. Lucas spent almost 18 months experimenting with different materials and making things for himself, before finding the medium he works with today – locally sourced, natural Australian limestone.
‘In the beginning, I gave myself time to test ideas and experiment with different materials without being solely focused on the profitability.’
“I feel so lucky to have been able to turn my passion into my job. Although it has bought additional pressures, essentially I’m doing what I love every day.”
Lucas admits that he never really intended for sculpting to become his full-time job: ‘I started with sculpture purely out of curiosity, drawing on the skills I had developed throughout my career. When I discovered that there was an audience for what I was making, I just went with it.’
The last two years have been a whirlwind for the artist, ‘I love the freedom of working for myself, when I was working a day job I would have these bursts of inspiration to make things, but never had enough time to bring my ideas to life.’
Between them, Steven, James and Lucas have worked hard to be where they are today. One thing that stood out among all three artists is how passionate they are about their craft and how deeply grateful they are to be able to do what they love each day and call it ‘work’.
‘Every piece has a different timeline, dependent on whether its a functional piece or an art piece; the process can start with just an idea, or I sometimes just go straight to the stone,’ says Steven Clark. Photo: Bobby Clark.
‘Everything is hand made using basic, mostly unpowered tools,’ says Lucas Wearne. Photo: Amelia Stanwix.